Politics USA places Colombian President Petro on sanctions list
The US government has imposed sanctions against Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, whom it accuses of failing to take action against drug cartels. In addition to him, his wife Verónica Alcocer, Petro's son Nicolás and Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti have also been placed on a corresponding list, according to a statement from the US Treasury Department. Their assets in the United States have been frozen or confiscated as a result.
24.10.2025, 22:57
SDA
"President Petro has allowed the growth of drug cartels and refused to stop these activities," said US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Colombian president rejected the accusations. Colombia is by far the largest cocaine producer in the world, ahead of Peru and Bolivia.
Petro and US President Donald Trump recently clashed over the controversial US military operations against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean. Petro had repeatedly accused the US of murder, while Trump called him a "drug lord" in return.
Among other things, the USA is now accusing Petro of having granted benefits to the drug cartels as part of a peace plan, which would have led to an increase in cocaine production. This may be because military operations against these groups were temporarily suspended during peace negotiations with rebels and criminal organizations.
The US Treasury Department also claims that the Colombian president passed on confidential information about measures against money laundering. He has also allied himself with the "drug terror regime" of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles, which is allegedly led by Venezuelan military officers.
Petro combative: "No step back"
"The decades-long and effective fight against drug trafficking has earned me this measure from the government of a society that we have helped so much to curb its cocaine consumption," Petro wrote on the news platform X after the sanctions were announced. "It's a paradox, but we won't take a step back and we'll never kneel."
As a young man, Petro belonged to the left-wing guerrilla organization M-19 and served two years in prison for illegal possession of weapons. In talks with rebel groups and criminal syndicates, the left-wing politician is trying to achieve "total peace" in the former civil war country. However, parts of Colombia are still controlled by armed organizations.
